Author Archives: Rick Piltz

Obama, 'national security' metastasis, and the war on whistleblowers

Within the Obama administration, the U.S. national security apparatus is winning a calculated, sustained, expanding war on whistleblowers, says Tom Devine in a must-read op-ed in today’s Guardian. And “the stakes have just been raised exponentially, [with] the administration seeking … Continue reading

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Court ruling on morning-after pill: Scientific integrity in policymaking v. Obama administration politics

A federal judge, overruling Obama administration policy in a decision calling for the government to make the morning-after pill available over the counter for all ages, said the administration’s policy was “politically motivated, scientifically unjustified, and contrary to agency precedent.” … Continue reading

Posted in Obama Administration, Science-Policy Interaction | 2 Comments

Heinzerling on Obama OMB's power grab v. EPA and science-based rulemaking

How can we get scientific integrity, transparency, and accountability in environmental and public health regulation when the President’s Executive Office appears to be the leading offender? In must-read truth-telling articles and interviews, Lisa Heinzerling, who directed the EPA policy office … Continue reading

Posted in Obama Administration, Science-Policy Interaction | 2 Comments

On crossing paths with citizen Jim Hansen, and the question: What are you ready to do?

Jim Hansen had just spoken out against mountaintop removal coal mining at the Appalachia Rising rally in Washington, DC, in 2010. About 1,000 of us participants, most of whom were from the Appalachian grassroots, were about to demonstrate through the … Continue reading

Posted in Activism | 5 Comments

Where are the Keystone XL pipeline whistleblowers?

In a new article published in the Washington Spectator I note the importance of whistleblowers in the context of the controversy over the Keystone XL pipeline. The proposed pipeline would bring up to 830,000 barrels of tar sands crude oil a day … Continue reading

Posted in Climate Science Watch, Obama Administration | 1 Comment

German public television story on German corporate support for the denial machine

A story on ZDF, the German national public television channel, talked about two German companies that contribute money to global warming denialists in U.S. politics. I told ZDF that a number of U.S. corporations try to have it both ways … Continue reading

Posted in Climate Science Watch, Global Warming Denial Machine | Leave a comment

On Obama's nominees for EPA Administrator and Secretary of Energy

Will the White House allow EPA to move aggressively on regulating greenhouse gases? Will the Energy Department continue President Obama's 'all of the above' approach on oil and gas development? I talked with Al Jazeera English's "Inside Story Americas" about … Continue reading

Posted in Climate Science Watch, Obama Administration | 2 Comments

John Kerry and climate change: Recalling a federal lawsuit against the Bush administration

In August 2007 a federal court ruled the Bush administration was in violation of the Global Change Research Act and ordered it to produce a years-overdue national climate assessment. Sen. John Kerry, who had called on the administration to produce … Continue reading

Posted in Climate Science Watch, Congress: Legislation and Oversight, Obama Administration | Leave a comment

“Penny-wise and pound-foolish”: Weather Service regional director fired after talking about harmful budget cuts

Within days of National Weather Service Southern region director William Proenza going public in the Washington Post about budget cuts that he says threaten Weather Service capabilities, NWS acting head Laura Furgione moved to fire him after a lifetime of … Continue reading

Posted in Obama Administration | 1 Comment

Recalling an exchange with Sen. John Kerry about climate change and the Bush White House

John Kerry is for real on pushing back against climate silence and the denial machine in Washington. I had the opportunity to testify before Senator Kerry and the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee at a hearing on Climate Change Research and Scientific Integrity, … Continue reading

Posted in Climate Science Watch, Congress: Legislation and Oversight, Obama Administration | 2 Comments